


There's Two Sides of Every Coin

by Trash9



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blood and Gore, Blood and Torture, Disturbing Themes, Drug Use, Drugs, Dubious Consent, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Gambling, Gang AU, Gang Violence, Gang leader Mark, Homophobic Language, M/M, Markjin, Smut, Sorry if it's a little emo, Threesome - M/M/M, University student Jinyoung, Violence, and for the JJP at the beginning, maybe some other side ships? IDK
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-09-07 06:07:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8786542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trash9/pseuds/Trash9
Summary: An accidental discovery at a Christmas party ruins university student Park Jinyoung's relationship. He finds himself crying about it in a hallway and a friendly stranger decides to take him out to a bar to fix his troubles. What he sees and learns on that seemingly insignificant night changes his life forever.On the other side is Mark Tuan, the heir to the mafia empire Jingyin. As such a valuable target, Mark can't trust anyone, much less risk falling in love. As he works to add Seoul to their empire, things get a little more complicated.Their two paths cross when Jinyoung is forced to choose heads or tails.





	1. Stranger Without Danger

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [JinyoungFicFest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/JinyoungFicFest) collection. 



Place: Seoul, South Korea

Time: 11:13 pm

Date: December 25th

Sitting outside should have calmed Jinyoung down. He wanted to regain his thoughts and walk back into that party stronger. But, instead, he was wiping his running nose on his ugly sweater and listening to Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" muffled through the walls of the apartment. He was shaking, just slightly, and attempting to form coherent thoughts. Anger and sadness twisted up inside him, leaving him to cry in a hallway.

Twenty minutes ago, he had opened the bathroom door of a friend's apartment and found two boys kissing. It would have been fine; he would have awkwardly mumbled sorry, closed the door, and went to find another bathroom. But one of those guys was _his_ boyfriend. So instead of mumbling sorry, he gasped, "Seunghae?" and stood there with his mouth wide open. Upon meeting eyes with the shocked man, he turned and left the bathroom.

"Jinyoung, wait! Let me explain!" Seunghae yelled, grabbing at Jinyoung's shoulder. Jinyoung cursed dating a runner. He jerked his shoulder and freed himself from Seunghae's grip. "Jinyoung!" He wailed. Effectively having caused a scene, Jinyoung was able to pass quickly through the crowd of other Christmas party goers. "Let me explain!" Seunghae shouted as he locked his hand around Jinyoung's arm.

Jinyoung whipped around, meeting the brown eyes he's learned to regret loving. "What, Seunghae?" He asked, bitterly.

"I- I- I was forced." He stuttered out. Several eyes were trained on them by now. "He was making me do it." Seunghae explained. His lower lip jutted out in it's characteristic guilty pout as he said "I'm sorry." Seunghae's eyes softened into sorrowful little orbs as he said, "Please forgive me." He begged. Unfortunately, no amount of puppy dog eyes would get him out of this.

"Ha." Jinyoung looked beyond his now former boyfriend to the man that had laughed. "Hi, I'm Shim Jaeyong, Seunghae's favorite dirty little secret." Jinyoung's head started spinning, something between heartbreak and rage stormed inside him. "He's been cheating on you for 3 months now." Jaeyong confessed.

"Oh. Thank you." Jinyoung mumbled. was certain his legs would have given out. Instead they made him turn around, open the door, and find another place to sit down. It was the poorly lit hallway, a place no one wanted to be. In an attempt to process what had just happened, Jinyoung came up with a sturdy list:

1\. Seunghae had cheated on him  
2\. Jaeyong, the other man, had admitted that this had been happening for three months  
3\. A large group of people now know he's gay

The door clicked open, pulling Jinyoung from his own angry thoughts. A taller man stood there with a packet of cigarettes in his hand. "Want one?" He asked, leaning down to offer one to the crumpled up Jinyoung.

"No," Jinyoung shook his head, "I don't smoke." He wiped his face out of embarrassment.

"So you're the one that got dumped?" The man asked as he lit his cigarette. "Sucks." He took a long drag, then exhaled the fumes like he was a wise old dragon. "Ya know he's in there crying too? Little piss baby, can't accept that he purposefully ruined something." The man chuckled before taking another drag. They were there for a while together, yet completely alone. The man finished his cigarette and pressed it against the wall. "Gotta leave my mark." He explained. He didn't turn around and go back to the party. Instead, he sat down next to Jinyoung. "I'm Jaebum. Im Jaebum."

"Park Jinyoung." _What the hell is this guy doing?,_  Jinyoung thought.

"I'm sorry about Seunghae." Jaebum said. "Didn't know him personally." He shrugged. "But boy do I know Jaeyong." He laughed, but it was too sad to be relieving.

"What?"

"You're not the only one that just found out your boyfriend was cheating on you." Jaebum revealed.

Jinyoung looked him in the eyes. What seemed so cool and calm just moments ago looked like a storm. There was something bitter in those coffee colored orbs, but also something sorrowful. "Oh." He said, "Oh my god. I'm sorry, man."

"We were engaged. We were gonna live together. I'd run my club, he'd be an artist." Jaebum opened up the packet of cigarettes. "I guess when I saw you standing there all broken looking, I realized that I'm only 22 and I have a lot ahead of me. I don't have time to waste on people like him." He put the cigarette back in the packet and threw it across the hall. The top flap opened and a few fell out, scattering on the scratchy tan carpet. "He made me start smoking."

"Oh." Jinyoung said again. He wanted to feel sorry. He wanted to feel something other than his own fucking pain but here he was being comforted by a man who's _fiancé_ cheated on him. He couldn't even offer an ounce of pity.

Jaebum got up, then extended his hand to Jinyoung. "Let's get out of here."

Jinyoung nervously accepted it. "Where?" He asked.

"Anywhere but here." Jaebum started walking down the hallway. Jinyoung just stood there, watching. "Are you coming?" The other man questioned.

"I should," Jinyoung started his sentence. He should go talk to Seunghae, he should tell him that they aren't a thing anymore and he's beyond hurt and that he's fucking mad. But, in the split second he made eye contact with Jaebum for the second time that night, Jinyoung rethought everything. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll go."

They walked down the five flights of steps in silence. They didn't speak as they exited the apartment building or walked across the parking lot. When something was finally said, it was coming from Jinyoung's lips, "Really?" He was staring at a motorcycle. A genuine, all-black, chrome and two helmets motorcycle.

"Yup." Jaebum exhaled. He thrusted the second helmet into Jinyoung's hands. "It's Jaeyong's, but I'll gladly let you readjust the straps." The chopper came to life with a roar and within a few seconds Jinyoung was zipping down the streets of Seoul with his arms wrapped tightly around a stranger. The feeling of excitement knocked all the wind out of him and for a few fleeting moments he actually felt kind of free. They turned into an alleyway and Jaebum cut the engine.

"I did that." Jinyoung gasped out. "I actually rode a motorcycle with a complete stranger." Jinyoung held his hand on his chest. "My boyfriend actually cheated on me." He couldn't breathe. He was certain he could feel the earth turning beneath him. "This is actually happening." Jinyoung dropped the helmet on the ground, then followed it and crumpled into a ball on the ground. "Holy fuck all of this is real!"

Jaebum simply squatted down next to him and rubbed his back. Jinyoung let out an ugly sob. "I know it's rough. It hurts." He stopped and stood up and, as if this was the hallway again, extended his hand. "Come on. You will get through this."

"Will I?" Jinyoung asked, eyes all watery. "Will I?" He echoed.

Jaebum grabbed his shoulder and pulled him up off the cement. "Yes." He scanned Jinyoung up and down, "You really do need a drink." He walked towards a set of steps that Jinyoung hadn't noticed before. Jaebum motioned for Jinyoung to come closer. "This is my place."

"No." Jinyoung said firmly. "No I don't-" He began.

"What? Drink?" Jaebum asked with an eyebrow raise.

"I do, yes, but I don't-" Jinyoung stammered. Sure, Jaebum was attractive and this was all kind and dandy but Jinyoung couldn't just receive the biggest shock of his life and then-

"Oh." Jaebum laughed. He furrowed his brows and scanned Jinyoung up and down yet again. "Sorry, but I don't date flower boys."

Jinyoung looked down and realized that he was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a women's Christmas sweater he'd stolen from his mom. His hair was styled- Seunghae had lovingly fixed his bangs- and he had even bothered with concealer. He was poor college student skinny and his symmetrical face had always been touted as handsome. "I'm not a flower boy." He whined.

Jaebum chuckled. "Sure, sweet cheeks." He started on the stairs, then came back up them. "Please tell me you're coming in so I can have a reason to be here on my day off."  
Jinyoung followed him down the concrete steps. Jaebum knocked on the door in some intricate pattern Jinyoung could hardly pick up. "Safety precautions." He reassured. The Judas hole of the metal door slid open and a pair of bright blue eyes met their own.

"Im Jaebum, what are you doing here?" They asked. Their Korean was accented, something foreign, but not quite the Chinese or Japanese accent Jinyoung was used to hearing.

"BamBam," Jaebum started. _Damn_ , Jinyoung thought, he couldn't place their ethnicity from their name. "We have someone new for you to meet."

The pair of blue eyes darted in Jinyoung's direction. "New beau?" They chuckled from behind the door.

"Shut up." Jaebum commanded, rolling his eyes, "Just let us in."

"As you say, boss." The door opened with a click, revealing a skinny boy in a translucent silk shirt and jeans.

"Hm." He hummed, giving Jinyoung a scan as they entered. "Nice ass. Handsome, but actor handsome, obviously Korean, and-"

"Enough. He's been having a rough night, Bam." Jaebum said. "Jinyoung," He turned Jinyoung away from the stunning view of the inside of the bar. The all black walls were covered in glowing neon signs and the mirrored black floor reflected them back, creating an Instagram worthy effect. The bar on the far wall was a fish tank that cast that end of the room in a watery blue glow. Completely black tables and chairs filled in most of the space, only discernible because he couldn't see the reflection of the neon on the floor. "Jinyoung," Jaebum repeated, "This is Kunpimook Bhuwakul, better known as BamBam."

"It's nice to meet you?" Jinyoung asked, bowing.

"Oh, is it a pleasure to meet you! I didn't know Jaebum would be bringing on another recruit." BamBam laughed, "I guess it is Christmas after all." Jinyoung raised a single eyebrow at the pair. "So, Jinyoung, welcome to Beelzebub's!"

Jinyoung raised one eyebrow at the pair. "He's not a recruit." Jaebum insisted. "I just thought he needed a drink."

"You say that about all of them. I remember when you brought in Yugyeom, you found him on the street and felt so bad that he stayed at your place for months." BamBam giggled. "Big softie, this one. Then he gets you to sign the papers and next thing you know, you're working on Christmas just waiting for a new guy to roll in."

"I'm-" Jinyoung started to say. _What the hell was going on? Why did he have to sign a contract?_

Jaebum sighed. "BamBam, let it go. I refuse to sign him."

"With an ass like that though?"

"Yes. Now go ask Hoseok to make something that'll cure a broken heart."

"Sure, boss." BamBam sauntered off. Jinyoung watched him drape himself over the fish tank counter flirtatiously and start chatting with the already busy bartender. There were very little people at the bar. But, the sound of pulsing hip hop muffled through the walls and the occasional flow of people up and down a spiral staircase in the corner told Jinyoung that there was more to this place than meets the eye.

"Oy Jaebum! Your drinks are ready!" The bartender shouted from across the room.

The rest of the night proceeded like this: Hoseok, a fast-talking and sharp jaw-lined man, would serve up something too good for Jinyoung to turn down. He'd drink it up, then mumble something that sounded less and less coherent every time. He'd maybe cry a bit, Jaebum would laugh and add in his own personal anecdote, then repeat.

At about the four am mark, when Jinyoung was too drunk to have another sip, Jaebum called his personal driver and Jinyoung put little thought into slipping into the car. He drunkenly mumbled complete bullshit to the driver, asking him something about his favorite type of tangerine or if he preferred boxers or briefs. Jinyoung flopped onto his bed and fell into an alcohol induced slumber.

* * *

 

"Jinyoung!" There was a loud knocking at his door. Fuck, it only made his headache worse. "Jinyoung!" Did he dare leave the warmth of his bed? "Jinyoung!" The pounding on his door hastened. Jinyoung got up, albeit slowly, but before he placed his hand on the doorknob, the voice repeated themself, "Jinyoung, please!" then, in English, "I'm sorry!" Jinyoung dropped his hand and turned around. There was no denying who'd apologize to him in English like that. It was Seunghae, a half-Korean-half-white guy, who's first date with Jinyoung a year and a half ago had him apologizing at the end for his shitty Korean. Saying "I'm sorry" in English had become their little thing- the fight-ender, the peacemaker, the final resolution. Now it just thrust the knife deeper into the wound.

Jinyoung turned around and opened the door. "If you're sorry, why did you even do it, huh?" He ran his eyes over the pitiful looking Seunghae. "If you're sorry," he started, "Why didnt you just break up to with me to be with Jaeyong? He's clearly the better option!" He yelled, ready to spit venom. "If you're sorry, why'd you bother breaking my heart?" He uttered in English. He slammed the door and turned back to go to his bed, he was tired again and too hungover to bother with class. 

* * *

Place: Hong Kong, China

Time: 11:45 pm

Date: December 25th

Mark checked his phone for the hundredth time. The screen was still blank; he still had no notifications. He wasn't sure why he was so anxious, he'd been doing this stuff since he was sixteen, but it still felt so unfamiliar. There was always risk in a weapons deal- even with the reputable dealers- and Mark hated having to put himself on the front line for this type of dealing. He felt relieved that they were dealing with the Wangs, a family better know for producing excellent fencers rather than illegal weapon dealers, yet their son managed to be both. The car pulled to a stop next to a warehouse, just the kind Jingyin always dealed in, and Mark got out. He readjusted his suit (there was no point in purchasing a perfectly tailored one if he couldn't wear it correctly) and checked his phone yet again.

 _Where was Jackson?_  

Yoon, one of Mark's men, pushed open the huge metal door. Jung, the other one of his men, scanned the area with his gun, then gave the all clear. Mark himself was precious cargo as the heir of Jingyin and every safety precaution was made so he could live another day. Plenty of people would be happy to see him bend over in pain after a bullet had torn through his shoulder, ripped into his stomach, or blasted through his skull. So only the finest of men with the utmost loyalty could even accompany him to something as simple as weapons deal.

As soon as he crossed the threshold of the warehouse a thousand lights flickered on, revealing Jackson Wang with a massive Christmas tree behind him. "Merry Christmas Mark!" Jackson cheered, before running up and giving him a tight hug. "Now, shall we open your presents?" He questioned, not even letting Mark chew him out for suddenly lighting up a whole warehouse and this possibly compromising the entire deal. 

Mark trailed behind Jackson to the humongous Christmas tree and was delighted by what lay under it: large shipment crates, covered in wrapping paper with huge bows stuck on top. Mark smiled, this was a good gift. "All there?"

"120 82's, the 50 Makarov's, and a few QX4's just for you!" He replied. 

Mark's eyes glittered as he ran his eyes over the collection of black submachine killers. There was something oddly attractive about the well-made black matte weapons, like a young heiress at the funeral of her third husband. He ran his fingers over the art pieces one last time then helped Jackson slide the gift wrapped top back on. "Good. You never let a deal slide." Mark said. He bowed and began to leave.

"Aren't you going to stay the night? Mama Wang already had a bed made up." Jackson asked, sadly. 

Mark looked back. "Unfortunately, I can't. Dad wants me in Seoul for some wedding."

"Can't I be your plus one?"

"Not unless you want me skinned alive. This is a family event and dad wants nothing to do with Jingyin while he's there." Mark explained. With that, he exited the warehouse and got into the car. He spent most of the ride staring at the wondourus  lights of Hong Kong, until his phone began to buzz. Mark looked at the name and smiled, "Yes, Jaeyong?"


	2. Heads Or Tails

Place: Seoul, South Korea

Time: 8:23 pm

Date: January 1

 

_"Please, don't turn away! I love you." The girl caught his wrist. The prince turned to her, his face angrier than a stormy sea. The girl bows her head out of shame._

Jinyoung turns off the tv.

He's thinking of him again. The fact that the male lead looks like him doesn't help. The drama was supposed to be happy, a cute little recreation of one of the ancient dynasties with beautiful hanbok and traditionally decorated hanok. The female lead was some cute little servant that fell in love with the typically grumpy prince. It reminded Jinyoung a little too much of him and Seunghae. Seunghae, the maid, considered scum as a drop out idol trainee that bounced from minimum wage job to other minimum wage job because he's a foreigner "taking Korean jobs". Jinyoung, the prince, a uni student with a rich family that's too scared to admit his real feelings, or in this case, sexuality. He got angry and stormed out on someone begging him to stay.

But, Jinyoung couldn't find it in himself to forgive Seunghae. He wasn't going to make it into some drama, where turns around and says he will for the love of his life. It's quite clear that Seunghae wasn't the one. He wouldn't be the one that Jinyoung would come out to his family with or propose to by Han River with a ramyeon picnic or battle adoption centers with to raise the son he's always wanted. He just wanted to forget without forgiving.

A second part of Jinyoung wanted to go to Seunghae's door and beg him to explain why he cheated. Why hadn't Jinyoung been good enough? What part of him was failing Seunghae? Was he not caring enough? What wasn't he doing in bed? Was he not giving Seunghae enough attention? Was he not supportive enough or helpful or kind or understanding or accepting or fun or loving? He wanted to break down, to walk the three blocks he'd walked so many times before, and forgive Seunghae for everything and give it one last go. He wanted to improve and forgive and to be as madly in love with a man as he just a week ago.

Jinyoung chose the middle. The silent pain, the unfollows on SNS, the ice cream. He had only a select few friends to run to, as he and Seunghae decided they'd be more closeted about their relationship in fear of homophobic friends. Seunghae was out to his family, a wonderful and artsy set of people who genuinely loved everyone. But Jinyoung knew he couldn't cross that line. His oldest sister Eojin knew, but only after he'd tested the waters with her and found her to be an ally. He couldn't just run to his big sister with his problem, she had enough stress with two kids and one on the way, so Jinyoung had only one option left.

He shoved on a pair of shoes and grabbed his warmest jacket. He couldn't find the place with a map, but a Naver search brought him what he was looking for. Jinyoung caught the next train headed for Gangnam, then walked the few blocks to the alleyway. He took the sketchy flight of concrete steps then knocked on the solid metal door. He didn't know the secret knock or even if the door person would recognize him, but he had to hope he'd get in.

The judas hole slipped open, revealing purple eyes. "Jinyoung?" BamBam asked.

"That's me." Jinyoung answered with a smile.

BamBam furrowed his brow. "You need to leave. Beelzebub's isn't a place for people like you."

"What do you mean?" Jinyoung asked, raising a brow. "Why can't I come in?"

"You don't know what you're getting into. Just go, Jinyoung." BamBam began to slide the judas hole closed. "Just go." He urged.

"But I just want to see-" Jinyoung began. BamBam slammed it shut, closing him off from any hope of getting in. "Jaebum." Jinyoung finished. _What the hell?_ , he thought. Why was he allowed in that first time, only for them to turn him down a second time? What did BamBam mean by Beelzebub's not being a place for Jinyoung? What kind of person did he have to be? Jinyoung dejectedly walked back up the stairs and in his blind shame bumped in to someone. He looked up and saw a cruel face tucked into a black trench coat. The face smiled, then in a flash had Jinyoung against the wall and his hands zip-tied behind his back.

"He's the little bitch!" He shouted, before shoving Jinyoung up the stairs and towards a van. Fear paralyzed Jinyoung, making him stumble into the back of the vehicle. The only thing that ran through Jinyoung's mind was _FUCK_! He didn't even bother to fight as another man in a suit pointed a gun in his direction so they could close the doors. The van roared as it pulled out of the alleyway and Jinyoung knew he was in some deep shit.

 

* * *

 

Place: Seoul, South Korea

Time: 11:44 am

Date: December 26

Mark slipped into the chapel, hoping he wouldn't have to talk with his father until after the ceremony. Unfortunately, that very man was standing just inside the door with the rest of Mark's family. Instead of acknowledging him, Mark proceeded to greet his little nieces, sisters, and brother. He even hugged his step-mother without so much as a glance in his father's direction.

"Hello, Mark." He said, voice on edge. "I'm happy to see that you didn't bring any _boys_ with you this time."

As usual, his own father isn't happy that Mark's here or that he secured an arms shipment last night. He's happy that his son's plus one isn't a guy. Mark never knew how to react, so he nodded and shook his father's hand. His hold would have shattered Mark's bones if he hadn't been ready. "Hi dad." Then a small tug on Mark's pants leg took his focus away from his father.

"Kyunghwan wants you." Said the little boy at his leg.

Mark bent down to be eye level with the toddler. "Can you lead the way?" Mark waved goodbye to his family and followed the tot back to wherever Kyunghwan was.

"Uncle Kyung!" He knocked.

Kyunghwan opened the door. Mark noted that his tux shirt was half buttoned, showing a sliver of his toned chest. "Thank you, Minho."

Mark stepped inside the dressing room, excited that there wasn't anyone else but Kyunghwan. "Sending one of your little cousins to get me? How romantic." He scanned the room for Kyunghwan's trademark bottle of Scotch. It was unopened, telling Mark that this wasn't going to be easy. That's the one thing that always ruined it for Mark; Kyunghwan had to be drunk for them to do anything. "A drink?" He opened the glass bottle and poured a glass.

"I should be sober for Ahyeon." Kyunghwan asserted. He sat on the aged love seat and looked at his hands. He seemed nervous. Who wouldn't be on their wedding day?

"So this is how it's gonna end?" Mark asked, taking a sip. The scotch burned on its way down. "You innocently getting married to some unknowing girl without a single suspicion and me getting harassed by my father until I 'straighten up'?" He set the glass on the table so harshly he was sure it would shatter in his palm.

"Mark." Kyunghwan said, using his storm-calming voice. He sunk into his seat. Mark took this as a cue to go sit next to him. Their eyes met for a quick glance, chocolate brown reflecting chocolate brown, then Mark had his lips against Kyunghwan's and one hand on his chest and the other cupping his cheek. He couldn't breathe and he didn't care because all he wanted was to taste Kyunghwan one last time. He let Kyunghwan pin him down and use tongue and take over. Mark loved the light in his eyes when Kyunghwan was kissing him and the way he was so delicately passionate. The other man broke the kiss and sat up, covering his face with his hands.

"This is so wrong." Kyunghwan began to cry. "This is so perverted and wrong!" He used his fists to angrily wipe his tears. "Why am I so fucking disgusting? Why do I like someone like you? Why does this feel good?" He fell on top of Mark and sobbed into his shoulder. Mark ran his hand through Kyunghwan's soft hair in an attempt to calm him. Kyunghwan took one deep, snotty inhale and sat back up. Mark hated this part: the crash, the collision, the pain that came with Kyunghwan's ingrained homophobia. " _Leave!_ " He shouted.

Mark pulled his legs from under Kyunghwan's, readjusted himself, and left with one last look at the man he'd loved. Kyunghwan had the bottle to his lips, unsurprisingly. Mark walked down the hall to the nearest bathroom, splashed water on his face, and combed his hair back to its original style. Father would be _very_ upset to see him so unkempt.

* * *

Place: ???

Time: ???

Date: January 1 

Jinyoung was certain he was suffocating. He was being held underwater and every thought dragged him down deeper and deeper. The shimmering light on the surface slowly faded away from him. He was struggling, fighting, wrestling his way to the top and there was no way he'd get there.

Jinyoung blinked again and returned to the back of the van

He was coiled up in a ball in the far corner. Tears had been running down his face since his abduction settled in his head. Nothing was going right. Nothing at all. This was the huge cherry on top of a shit sundae. His boyfriend cheats, he can't get into a bar, and now he's been kidnapped. Jinyoung feels himself fading into the depths again. His lungs refuse to fill with air like he's drowning and he can't even fight it, he can't even swim.

The van makes a sharp left then slows to a stop, slamming Jinyoung against the back divider. The door pops open and he squints at the sudden bright light. From what he can make out, they're obviously not in Seoul anymore. "Come on, get out ya cry baby." Says the man that kidnapped him. Jinyoung crawled out as best he can and attempted a landing, instead smashing into his abductor. The men have him stabilized and blind folded with another set of quick movements, then they seemed to enter a building. Jinyoung can tell he's been lead into some room by the squeak of a door. "Kneel." He does and the blind fold is removed. The man smirks at him, sending a jolt of fear down Jinyoung's spine. "You will stay here until I return." He cocked his gun and Jinyoung didn't need more of an explanation.

They door closed with a click and Jinyoung was all alone again. At first, he quickly scanned the little cell. At one end was a bed made up with all white bedding. At the other was a dresser and mirror. Jinyoung was sitting in the center on the small rug. He assumed it was a bedroom, unsure why they'd hold him here. Whatever reason, it wasn't good. He got up (as best any one could with their hands tied behind their back) and sat on the edge of the bed. Just then the door clicked open again and the man entered with BamBam in tow.

BamBam's eyes widened as they fell on Jinyoung's face. "Master?" He said, bowing to Jinyoung's captor, "May I make a call?"

"To whom?"

"My brother. My mother is quite ill."

"You may have five minutes."

BamBam happily stepped out of the room. He quickly typed on the phone and paced back and forth in the hallway outside. "Swadeekap!" He said and that's when Jinyoung realized that he was Thai. He said some more in the indecipherable language; the expression on his face grew more twisted with worry. The man and Jinyoung made eye contact once, but then BamBam reentered from the hall.

"With him?" He asked, nodding at Jinyoung.

"Yes. For the full hour." Jinyoung could see BamBam gulp. He was frozen for a split second, then the next he was on top of Jinyoung.

"I'm sorry." BamBam whispered, so quietly that Jinyoung couldn't be sure. He was kissing down Jinyoung's neck and that's when everything clicked into place. The contracts, the see-through shirt, and the warning at the door all pointed to it. BamBam was a sex worker, definitely illegal, and Jaebum was certainly his boss. BamBam worked for this guy and for whatever reason, this guy was going to stand there for an hour and watch as BamBam did things with Jinyoung. It was clear to Jinyoung that BamBam had to or he wouldn't be apologizing.

Slowly and wordlessly, BamBam unbound Jinyoung's wrists and pulled his shirt off. He left a few marks on Jinyoung's chest then worked his way down, moving his hands to slowly undo his belt. "Yes." The man said, chuckling. Jinyoung closed his own eyes and tried to shut out everything around him. There was a loud bang and the click of a gun. Jinyoung opened his eyes, and to his relief Im Jaebum stood there with his gun aimed at the man.

"Choi Youngil, what the hell are you doing with _my_ man?" He shouted, gun ready to fire. He looked over at BamBam and commanded, "Go."

The Thai boy got off of Jinyoung, grabbed what was left of Jinyoung's clothes, and scampered out of the room. Jinyoung covered himself and followed behind BamBam and who seemed to be one of Jaebum's men. They left the house and got in a car. A few moments later, Jaebum hopped in the passengers seat.

"What the fuck is going on?" Jinyoung asked as he pulled his sweater on.

Jaebum leaned over in his chair. His elbows were on his thighs and his face was in his hands. He ran his hands through his hair and over his face like a stressed maniac. BamBam, on the other hand, had gone deathly still. Jinyoung didn't get an answer until they were at Beelzebub's.

With a single knock, the door swung open, revealing a fairly tall guy in an outfit similar to BamBam's when Jinyoung first met him. BamBam immediately collapsed into the guy's arms and with a knowing glance at Jaebum, the guy disappeared with BamBam a moment later. "You. Me. My office." Jaebum said, in little fragments like sentences were a foreign concept. Jinyoung swallowed harshly at the lighting bolt of fear that ran down his body.

He shuffled behind Jaebum into a tiny "office". It was nothing more than a closet with a desk. Jaebum sat at the swivel chair behind it and Jinyoung chose one of the stuffed chairs. "Shit." Jaebum said, running his fingers through his hair. He fidgeted like the good student who just got called to the principal's office. "I guess, first I'll explain what Beelzebub's is." He took such a deep breath that Jinyoung was certain he'd inhale most of Seoul. "My grandfather started this place as a bar. My father then turned it into a strip club when he inherited it, but needed the 'skin', that's people, to do it. He got involved in the upcoming gang Jingyin to get the skin, raised this place to its glory, then died in a shoot out when I was eighteen. Parentless, bisexual, and alone, I turned this place into a gay strip club as a sanctuary for people like BamBam."

"What kind of people?"

"It's not really my story to tell, but he refuses to ever tell it himself so." Jaebum inhaled Seoul again. "When he was seven, he was walking home from school."

Jinyoung knew where this was going. "No! Not-"

"Yes. He was pulled off the street, drugged, and then spent some time in child prostitution circles in Bangkok. He ended up in Seoul as a prized child just before the Bangkok ones were busted." Jaebum said, voice quivering. "I set up an indoctrination process to pick kids out of there. They are still in sex work, but it's a lot more safe. The boys have to have their phones on them, be sober, can't do anything not specified in the request." He paused. "It's why BamBam called me, he wasn't with Choi. His safe word is sawdeekap, Thai for hello. They call; I come."

"That's- I- Shit." Jinyoung said. This is not how he had planned for his week to go. The information swirled around in his head like it had no place to fit.

Jaebum nodded. "I'm sorry things had to go this way."

"So what now? Is that it?"

"No." Jaebum rummaged through one of the drawers. "You know too much now. You're dangerous; You're valuable. Anyone, like Choi, would be able to pull you off the street and do something worse."

"Worse than force a stripper on you?"

"You can be killed." Jaebum reappeared. "You're also a nobody. Park Jinyoung, just a college student, someone who would be missed for a few years until your family can't afford to look anymore. Maybe your dead, naked body could be pulled out of the Han after some kid accidentally finds it." He shrugged and dumped a single coin on the desk. "Heads or tails?"

"Heads?"

"We're flipping to see what happens to ya. Heads, you get to be my tribute. Tails, you join as one of my men." He stated.

 _Fuck_. The questions began to spill out of Jinyoung's mouth. "What's a tribute? Do I have to sign a contact? Do I get a third option?"

"One: you get offered up to the higher ranked people within Jingyin. Two: Of course! Three: the Han."

Jaebum tossed the coin in the air. It moved so slow that Jinyoung swore he could count how many times it flipped. (It was eighteen). It clanked on the metal top of the desk with its final decision: Heads.

Jinyoung would be a tribute.

"You lucky son of a bitch."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taking so long to update! Please enjoy


	3. Champagne and Cocaine

Place: Seoul, South Korea

Time: 11:29 pm

Date: December 26th 

Mark slipped his phone out of his pocket and dialed the first number that came to mind. He waited through the dial tone for the other side to pick up.

" _Oy Mark. What's up?_ " Jaeyong's nasally voice cut through the silence within the car.

"I need a hit. And you. Feel free to bring anyone, but they have to be up for it." He sounded needy and he hated it. He didn't want to need Jaeyong or his drugs or the sex. But he wanted his mind off of Kyunghwan and this was the only way he knew how.

" _Where?_ "

"The penthouse. I don't want to be home when dad is." Mark answered.

" _I'll be there. Seunghae too._ " Jaeyong promised. Mark's phone beeped a couple of times, meaning Jaeyong hung up. The car pulled in front of the apartment complex. Each room held some sort of of Jingyin man with Mark's personal palace on top. He got out, scanned for signs of danger, and entered the building. He didn't need a security check, so he passed through the metal detectors blindly. Once at the top floor, Mark kicked off his shoes and flopped on his bed. He didn't want to move or breath or think until he had some pills in him.

 _"A request to enter from Shim Jaeyong and Ahn Seunghae_." Woo's voice over the intercom broke Mark's moment of silence.

"They may." He answered. Only two minutes later was there a buzz signaling Jaeyong's arrival. Mark got up with a labored groan and crossed the open suite to let them in. He opened the door, revealing Jaeyong and his new boy toy. It only briefly flickered across Mark's mind that Jaeyong was actually engaged, but he buried it in the back of his head like so many other things. "Hey." Mark sighed.

"Oh _darling_ ~." Jaeyong drew out his words like a teenage girl trying to flirt. He took a hold of Mark's suit collar. "You're still all dressed up. You look amazing, as always, but we wouldn't want to soil something like this." He undid the top two buttons before pirouetting away to the kitchen. The freedom it gave Mark's neck reminded him that he hadn't been breathing.

Mark got a quick glance at Seunghae. The kid had the biggest puppy eyes in the world, but that's all Mark noticed before Seunghae dipped down to bow. "Pretty boy ain't he?" Jaeyong asked from the kitchen. "He's so pretty SM entertainment wanted him. He was gonna be a rapper until he made out with that Shinee member. Who was it, dear?"

Seunghae visibly flinched. Yup, he was definitely a lost puppy in a dragon's den. "EXO's Chen actually." He looked at his shoes. It was clear that he wished things hadn't gone the way they did.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Jaeyong pulled a champagne bottle out of the fridge: _Champagne Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 1995_. "I wonder what such a beautiful bird would sound like between the sheets." Jaeyong said wistfully. If Seunghae had ears they'd be flattened. Jaeyong examined the bottle before setting it on the counter. "Mark, I can't believe you're keeping this in the fridge."

"I was saving the rest for something special." Mark said, ice in his voice.

Jaeyong raised one eyebrow. "What could be more special than a visit from me?" He uncovered the Krug Clos d'Ambonnay and poured the bubbling gold into three separate glasses. "Let's drink up, boys!"

Their clothes were gone as quickly as the champagne. Jaeyong had brought some cocaine,and Mark was giddy to snort a few lines. He melted into his bed as the it filtered through his veins. It, obviously mixed with something else, made Jaeyong's dragon tattoo fly from its position on his spine into the bedroom as a scaly, fire-breathing monster. It flew around the room, knocking everything from the walls and off the dresser top for a minute before returning to its flesh jail cell.

Seunghae was on top of Mark in a few seconds, his lips against Mark's, then down his jaw, neck, and chest. He was quick to start sucking Mark, but started gagging when Jaeyong slipped a single lube covered finger inside him. "Keep going, Seungie, remember what we're here for." The puppy, Mark swore Seunghae grew ears, continued to make a mess of him. He moaned every time Jaeyong added a finger, elevating the level of pleasure.

"I'm-" Mark moaned, faltering because of Seunghae's excellent work. Seunghae rolled onto his back and lay next to Mark. They made eye contact as Jaeyong entered him. Mark saw a hundred different emotions in those eyes, but there was one that caught his attention:

 _Betrayal_.

 

* * *

 

Place: Seoul, South Korea

Time: 10:36 pm

Date: January 15th

 

"Raymond Tuan is the father of Tammy, Grace, Mark, and Joey Tuan. He runs the entirety of Jingyin and its four sections. Each of his children run one of the sections under his guidance. Tammy runs Hong Kong, Grace runs Tokyo, Joey runs Bangkok, and Mark runs Seoul. Though considered a bastard since he was born in between Tuan's marriages, Mark is the oldest son and will take his father's place when he dies. Joey is second in line, then the women follow." Jinyoung mindlessly recited as he restocked the bar. He had suffered two weeks of non-stop quizzing on every aspect of Jingyin, from the little royal family that ran it to what he would be doing as a tribute. Jaebum wanted Jinyoung to know what he was getting into before he ever actually committed to it.

Jaebum hummed in satisfaction. "Good, anything else?"

"Tammy has two daughters. There's rumors of Mark's sexuality, so they may inherit the entire thing if he doesn't have children." Jinyoung swallowed.

"What do you know about those rumors?" Jaebum pressed.

"They're true." Jinyoung said, hardly above a whisper. The lounge section of Beelzebub's was actually quite busy and their conversation could be listened to at anytime. Wouldn't want to sacrifice a secret.

"What else do you know about Mark?"

"He's our- _er_ \- your boss. He'll get first pick of tributes to be part of his elite squad of men. He was raised by an aunt in LA after his young mother couldn't raise him. Everyone says he's volatile; he's a bomb waiting to explode."

"Good." Jaebum smiled. "Sounds like you're ready."

 

Jinyoung couldn't sleep that night. His life would be changing, effective tomorrow (or today, it's 2:34 am). Part of him wanted the change. It begged him to soak up every bit of information Jaebum or one of his "men" had. It wondered what Mark Tuan would think of him or if he'd have to go back and work for Jaebum. It wanted him to know how to shoot a gun or shake Raymond Tuan's hand or get the Jingyin rose tattoo that Jaebum, Yugyeom, and BamBam had inked into their skin.

Then there was the other half, who begged for stability and peace. It wanted to graduate from university and live peacefully in Jinyoung's apartment. It wanted to reverse the clock back to Christmas and have a major redo.

Unfortunately, the wild side was winning.

Jinyoung tossed and turned until his alarm told him that it was socially acceptable to get up and get ready. He got up, went to class, and even chatted with a few friends over coffee. The hours seemed to move at light speed.

Jinyoung arrived home and got dressed in an old black suit that Jaebum had specifically picked out. "It fits you the best. The leaders will approve." Jaebum had said, examining the entirety of Jinyoung. He hadn't bothered to mention the last time he wore the suit was to his grandmother's funeral but he was headed to his own anyway. At precisely 6:30, there was a knock at his door.

"Jinyoung? It's time." Jaebum's voice cut through the door. Jinyoung grabbed his suitcase and opened up the door.

He blinked once.

Twice.

Three times.

Im Jaebum was there in a suit. And not just any suit, no, a scarlet, perfectly tailored three piece that Jinyoung couldn't have even imagined him in. In an attempt to hide his surprise, Jinyoung said, "You're wearing a suit?"

"Of course." Jaebum smiled at Jinyoung's disbelief. "It's tribute day." He said like it wasn't obvious enough.

The car ride (Jaebum had a personal driver?) to Gangnam wasn't long enough and yet it stretched for eight millennia. Jinyoung couldn't believe that he was getting out of a car and he was walking into a hotel ballroom and that he was even breathing. The anxiety overtook every atom in Jinyoung's body.

The ballroom overflowed with hundreds of men and women, all dressed in well-tailored suits or glimmering designer dresses. The hum of all their voices stung Jinyoung's nervous ears. A tower of champagne glasses stood magnificently in the center of the gala. Jinyoung followed Jaebum to a set of tables with long rows of name tags laid out. "Look for my name. Write yours just below it. I'll meet you at the first table at the left of the champagne pyramid." Jaebum instructed. He then disappeared into the maze of attendees and tables. Jinyoung found Jaebum's tag and hastily wrote his own name just below. He managed to get through the maze and find the table.

"Hello." He greeted the members of Jaebum's entourage. It was reassuring to see BamBam and Yugyeom sitting there. One incredibly gorgeous woman trained her attention on Jinyoung.

"He's your tribute?" She asked Jaebum, without even taking her eyes off him. "Where can I get one?" Her voice was silky, making it clear she was trying to flirt.

"Yes." Jaebum laughed. "If you want to go to Christmas parties and find a kid crying in the hallway, I can guarantee they'll make a great tribute."

"Oh. I see." She purred.

"Leave him alone Mina, he's gay anyway." BamBam said, winking at Jinyoung like letting that valuable piece of information loose was fine.

She smiled. "Even better. Wanna bet he'll get picked up by Mark?"

"100,000 won says he doesn't." Yugyeom said, placing a couple 50,000 won bills on the table.

"But look at him!" BamBam argued. "They'll at least spend time on him."

"So the bets are in! 100,000 won to Mina if Mark picks him, to BamBam if they consider him, and to Yugyeom if he's not given a glance." Jaebum said. "Now I'd like to bet that he's picked first."

"You do that every year!" BamBam whined.

"But this year, I have a real winner."

The duo mocked surprise. BamBam truthfully looked hurt for a second. "Not us? What about last year?"

Just as Jaebum opened his mouth to answer, a microphone squeak silenced the entire gala. Every set of eyes focused on the stage. "That's him." BamBam whispered. Jinyoung swore in that moment that god was a twenty-three year old Asian male in a black suit.

"Hello everyone. Welcome to our sixtieth tribute gala. I am excited to see who our contributors have brought us." Even Mark Tuan's voice sounded divine. "All tributes please rise and stand in a line on stage. We will select you based off of contributors' mentions and our initial impressions." He even had a warm smile. Jinyoung's poor gay heart was melting and he hated it.

Jinyoung nervously got up and followed the mass of other young people. A hundred questions swirled in his head. What did Jaebum put in his mentions? What even were contributors' mentions? What if he didn't get picked? Where should he stand? Jinyoung found himself toward the left between a woman with hair longer than both of his arms and an incredibly tall man. He took a deep breath, certain he wouldn't breathe again.

"I will select first as is customary." Mark said into the microphone. God was about to select his angels. He walked down the line, scanning each nervous tribute. Some seemed to put out an air of cool confidence while others visibly cracked upon his glance. He got closer, closer, and closer until Mark was making eye contact with Jinyoung. He smiled. Every single one of Jinyoung's organs decided to dissolve the exact moment Mark pointed at him. "I select tribute Park Jinyoung. He was contributed by Im Jaebum, owner of Beelzebub's Bar."

The room was spinning. Jinyoung was certain he could see a new color. The warm grip of the gang leader's hand pulled Jinyoung out of his panic. "Do you have anything you would like to say to the gala?" He asked. Jinyoung, stunned, nodded yes. "Alright." Mark handed him the microphone.

"Ah. My name is Park Jinyoung. I am so honored to be selected as first tribute. I will serve Jingyin to the best of my ability." Jinyoung said into the mic before handing it back to Mark. One question stuck out in his head: Why did Mark pick him?

"Take a seat at the chair labeled number one." Mark instructed. For the next hour, Jinyoung would watch people get pulled from the line. Some kid named Kim Taehyung was second pick and the only other one to join Jinyoung as one of Mark's picks. At the end, Mark approached them. "I am happy to be able to pick both of you. Your contributors' mentions were both very nice. Now Taehyung, I'm going to put you as one of my informants. A man by the name of Hong Minjae will be in charge of your training."

"Thank you, sir. It is such an honor to have been selected by you." Taehyung bowed deeply.

Mark nodded. "You will stay in the tribute dorms. Feel free to go back to your contributor for now."

Taehyung bowed again before leaving. Jinyoung noticed the little fist pump of success he did. He probably thought no one was watching. Jinyoung focused back on Mark, who had been watching Taehyung as well. "Taehyung's a good kid; proficient in everything. I've been friends with his contributor for a while, so I'm happy to have him as one of mine. You won't work with him much, neither will I, but my selection gives him a head start."

"Is that so?" Jinyoung asked.

"Yes. I have a vastly different plan for you though. Now where's your contributor?" Mark said like it was an answer. Jinyoung wordlessly lead him to Jaebum's table.

"Guess who just won 300,000 won?" Jaebum shouted. His face was all scrunched up with the biggest, toothiest smile ever. He hugged Jinyoung tightly, nearly suffocating him. "You, my tribute, was first pick!"

"Yep." Jinyoung said, fixing his hair and suit.

"Hello Jaebum." Mark greeted.

"Hello Mark." Jaebum said.

It was instantly awkward. Mark and Jaebum just stood there, like they were about to duel. The air filled with their awkward tension. Jinyoung had to do something. "So, why did you want to speak with Jaebum?"

"I wanted to thank you for bringing in such an excellent tribute. He's going to be a great addition to Jingyin." Mark said without eye contact. He bowed. "Jinyoung, you may have a few moments with your friends. I'll be back to collect you."

"Thank you." Jinyoung bowed to him. He waited until Mark was out of earshot to say anything more. "What was that?" He asked Jaebum.

"Story for another time." Jaebum mumbled. Jinyoung looked at the maknaes for the answer, but both of them shrugged apologetically.

BamBam decided to pick the conversation up. "So, um, shall we toast Jinyoung on being first?" They all picked up their champagne glasses. BamBam pulled one off of the tower and handed it to Jinyoung.

"To our first tribute, Park Jinyoung." Jaebum said, raising his class.

"To our first tribute." Everyone echoed. Their glasses clanked together with a crystalline chime. It felt silly to be toasted

Jinyoung sipped his drink. Expensive champagne always tasted like bottled piss and he didn't want it to stick in his mouth. "Thanks guys." He said, blushing again. Just then, Mark reappeared.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yes." Jinyoung thought for a second. "I should get my bag from the car, though." He added.

"It's not needed. I can replace anything, plus we'll be getting you a new wardrobe." Mark said.

"Then let's go." Jinyoung suggested. He waved goodbye to his friends, silently hoped he would see them soon, and walked beside Mark. He wished he hadn't noticed how nice Mark's side profile was.

"We'll ride in my personal car." Mark said, montioning toward a shimmering black car. It was beautiful in the way only a car could be- mechanical, sleek, and powerful- and for a brief moment Jinyoung let himself gape at the midnight colored Bentley. "Beautiful, isn't she?" Mark asked. Jinyoung could only nod. A driver stood next to it and promptly opened the door at their approach. Jinyoung got in first and slid all the way over, briefly admiring the near-black red leather seats.

"To the palace." Mark instructed. He really was a member of the royal family and this was his carriage. Jinyoung was the unwitting pauper about to meet either his doom or destiny. They sat in silence most of the ride. Mark was busy on his phone, muttering the names of men, guns, and places to different contacts. They rolled up to a towering apartment building.

"Here we are." Said the driver. Mark clicked off his phone.

"Sorry. Just business." He explained. Mark got out of the car first. He stopped and appeared to scan the area, then continued into the building. Jinyoung trailed behind him. After entering, Jinyoung was shocked by the presence of such tight security.

"Please remove your shoes, socks, jacket, and belt please." A pudgy security guard commanded. Jinyoung did so as quickly as possible, then passed through the metal detectors. He felt like a tiny organism under a miscroscope. "You're all clear." Jinyoung out everything back on. He briefly envied Mark- who didn't even require an examination- then got into the elevator. Mark pressed the 32 button.

"The entire building houses only Jingyin's men, thus the extra security to guarantee there is no funny business." Mark explained. "We're headed to my private penthouse suite. No one is allowed in without an invitation." The elevator let out a small _ding_ to signal their arrival. It opened to a small hallway where each end was marked with a painting. Directly across from the elevator was a single door with a passcode lock. Mark quickly typed in the six digit code and the door unlocked with a click.

"Welcome to The Palace!" He exclaimed. The suite was simply astounding. Floor to ceiling windows expanded across the back half of the apartment, offering a gorgeous view of the nighttime Seoul skyline. The inside shimmered with gold accented furniture.

"Wow." Jinyoung's jaw dropped. He slipped off his shoes and carefully placed them on a shoe rack. The leather couch looked tempting. By the time he'd found a pair of slippers, Mark was already in the luxurious kitchen.

"What do you drink, Jinyoung?"

"Um." He didn't have much of an opinion. Most anything expensive tasted awful to him and this wasn't the place to have cheap soju.

"Champagne?" Yup, Jinyoung was screwed.

"No. I hate champagne." He said, but it came out as, "Sure."

"Excellent." Mark popped the cork and filled two glasses. Jinyoung scanned the apartment again, wondering why he was chosen. Mark handed him a glass. "Now, let's sit." He motioned to the leather couch. Jinyoung happily sat down, but his nerves told him to sit up straight. He hadn't sipped his champagne. "Jinyoung, you are here because I want you to be my right hand man."

Was he hearing that correctly?

"Me?" He couldn't stop himself from asking.

Mark nodded. "Yes, you." He confirmed. "I've been running this sector for five years without someone by my side. I've never found someone as suitable for the task as you are." He placed his hand on Jinyoung's thigh. It took all of Jinyoung's strength not to pass out. Mark is putting his hand on his thigh? He was allowed in the private palace already? He would be a right hand man? "There will be a lot involved and I cannot have you sharing any of my secrets, no matter what happens to you. Are you up to the task?" He made eye contact with Jinyoung. Mark's eyes begged for consent.

Jinyoung took a deep breath. "Yes."

Mark's shimmering smile returned. "Perfect! Your training will start tomorrow." He chugged a portion of his champagne. "Plus we'll need to get a suit fitting for you. That one is simply horrid."

Jinyoung blushed in response. "Well, Jaebum did say it would do for now."

Something in Mark went rigid. "Don't mention him here." He said sharply, slamming his glass on the coffee table. Just when Jinyoung thought things would go well, they had decided to get worse. "Now I am going to get some sleep. Your bedroom will be on the right. There should be some basic toiletries in the bathroom and a pair of pajamas in the closet." He got up and stormed off. "Good night, Jinyoung."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! I am nearly done chapter 4, so the update will come soon.
> 
> I'm also incredibly excited to say that I will be seeing Got7 in 2 weeks!!!


	4. A Good Choice

Place: Seoul, South Korea

Time: 2:39 am

Date: January 17

Jinyoung couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned and turned and tossed in fitful slumber, only to awake at two in the morning. Thoughts invaded his head, filling him with even more worry. Why was he here? Why was he picked? How did he get here? Everything had gone too fast and now, after agreeing with a simple "yes", Jinyoung was finally allowing it to settle in. He laid there in quiet for a while, making lists in his head then trashing him. He settled on one that seemed to explain his panic perfectly:

  
_**1\. WHAT THE FUCK?!** _  
_**2\. WHY AM I HERE?!** _  
_**3\. HOLY SHIT** _  
_**4\. I AM SCREWED** _

  
It was all written in a huge, colorful font in his head that only gaudy makeup companies would use for their billboards. He lifted his palm to his forehead, feeling his sweat drenched skin. He needed water, but did he dare leave the room? Before he could answer his own question, Jinyoung found himself rifling through the cabinets of Mark's luxurious kitchen in search of a glass.

"They're above the coffee maker." A voice said. Jinyoung felt his soul exit his body. The person clearly wasn't Mark, no, their jaw was too square.

"Youngil?" Jinyoung gasped. Backing up as far as possible, his heart raced in his chest. _How did he get in here_? Jinyoung couldn't breathe. 

The person laughed brightly; it was a squeaky gasping noise that filled the room. "No, my name is Youngjae. He's my twin brother." Jinyoung loosened his grip on the counter.

"Yah-You-" He stuttered, analyzing Youngjae's features. "Look just like him." He still felt a tiny pang of fear- Youngjae was in no way as threatening as his brother- but Jinyoung couldn't let go of a suspicion. Familial ties could be strong and even the least creepy person in this gang could drug him and return him to Youngil.

Youngjae bowed. "Sorry to meet you like this. I'm the main informant and housekeeper for Mark. I live a floor down." He smiled, big and square shaped. "My brother and I don't work together, if that's what you're thinking. Our only relation is blood- and the looks of course."

Jinyoung gave a small smile back. "I'm Park Jinyoung. Second in command, as of a couple of hours ago." Jinyoung turned to get his glass. He realized Youngjae was still standing there, watching him. "So?"

"Sorry, it's just," Youngjae began. "Mark doesn't just let people stay here. Who are you, really?"

 

* * *

 

 

Place: Seoul, South Korea

Time: 4:42 pm

Date: January 16

"You know I love you, right?" Jaeyong hummed. He busied himself with Mark's tie, playfully pushing the gang leader against a wall. Jaeyong smiled at his work. "There. You better not let anyone else do this."

"Well," Mark giggled, "There was that one time with Youngjae."

"Completely unacceptable." Jaeyong shook his head. They locked lips, frozen for a minute. Jaeyong always tasted like the menthols he smoked. "Now, have fun at the gala. Bring home someone cute!"

"I will!" Mark said. He exited the penthouse and pulled out his phone. The click of the door, hiding everything away, felt reassuring. "The Bentley, Yoon." He ordered.

The trip to the gala was uneventful, as always. Mark walked quietly to the selectors' room. Excited to be first, he peered down the rows of manila folders. He was excited to read through each tribute file; to see the future of Jingyin. He picked up the folder closest to him. On it was the tribute's name in Hangul, the native spelling (if not Korean), and the romanticized English, then the contributor's name in the same three variations. Mark opened the file, scanned the stats, then placed the folder back down. He did this countless times, incredibly unimpressed by this year's new slew.

Yook Ahreom. Korean. Age: Twenty-Four. Prostitute.

_Eh._

Zheng Jianyu. Chinese. Age: Nineteen. Son of a real estate broker.

 _Boring_.

Lee Jukwon. Korean. Age: Twenty-nine. Drug dealer.

 _Yawn_.

Eventually, Mark reached one file that made his mouth fill with a bitter taste. _Im Jaebum_. He traced his eyes over the name on the cover: Park Jinyoung. _What a plain name_ , Mark thought. He opened up the file, expecting some Plain Jane. Instead, he saw a man with looks that rivaled idols. His mouth watered. Mark scanned his file only to find that most of it was barren. The beautiful boy was worthless. He had not a single skill. When Mark scanned the blackmail section, it said he was gay. Great, the cherry on top. Mark lingered on his photo for just a moment.

"He's handsome." Mark nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked over to see the white-haired Jeon Bitna. She warmly smiled at him. "Ease up, Mark. The world isn't ending!" She patted him on the back before picking up another file. They went through them together, quietly. At the end, she opened up again, "Is there anyone you think you're going to claim?"

"Just Kim Taehyung. Last year I selected several men that are still serving me well." He answered.

"Ooh. Being picky this year." She elbowed him. "It's good we got in here before the manly men came." Bitna left him at the edge of the table to go select from the refreshments.

Slowly, the other selectors appeared to go through files. They were all men Mark's father had selected; men Mark wanted to get rid of when he took power. They had power though, like lords, and Mark was the prince that had to attend to them all to keep the peace. Bitna was the single woman among them all, who knew her power was unsteady and meant to keep people happy. Mark sat at the head of a long table, anticipating the discussion ahead.

"Men, and lady, shall we discuss our selections?" He said, standing up from his seat. They all came over to sit in order of rank. Mark wished Bitna was closer.

"Is there anything to discuss?" Questioned Lee Daesung, a reputable skin dealer.

Min In-sik smiled. "Of course, Lee." Mark recognized the file in Min's hand. "Like this joke Im Jaebum submitted. When is he gonna stop pulling faggots from those farms?"

Oh no. Mark wanted to open his mouth.

Lee got up and grabbed the profile from Min's hand. His eyes ran over it greedily and his sinister smile only grew bigger. "He's a joke." He placed the file in the center of the table. It flipped open. "Look at him. Unskilled. Useless. But," Lee made one dramatic motion to the blackmail section. "Gay! He's gay! Who wants him? Maybe you, Kwon?" He slid the file to Kwon Hojon, known for dealing in male skin as much as female skin.

Kwon smirked. "He's absolutely useless. Can't even be skin!" He slid it back. "Jeon, what about you?"

Bitna looked at the file. Mark saw the flash of regret on her face, but it had been her ability to be ruthless and " _manly_ " that had kept her here. "I doubt anyone would want to hear his voice at my casino. Besides, I have to hire from outside Jingyin too." A happy, male chuckle rose from the group.

"Well, I say he is ranked last. Useless shit. We needed to knock Jaebum down a peg after last year's second and third picks last year." Mark's mouth went dry. BamBam and Yugyeom were perfect informants, so cleverly hidden as Jaebum's workers. Even if Mark couldn't bear their boss's sight, he could rely on those boys to give any information he wanted. "So, Tuan?"

"We may rank him last." Mark said, trying to sound normal. He made up a plan in his mind: pick him first, prove them wrong. The rest of their time was spent debating who got who. It didn't matter, the higher ranked men got who they wanted and the lower ranked ones got the scraps. Bitna only ever wanted pretty voices to run her internet casino; Lee would want some fresh skin. Everyone had their type, with Mark getting to select the best of the best to run his empire from the top. His plot was perfect.

As they stepped out of the room, he was careful to scan the room for Jinyoung's face. Mark spotted him humoring BamBam and Yugyeom, a little half smile on his handsome face as the younger two joked around. Mark approached the microphone and at this point all eyes were on him. "Hello everyone. Welcome to our sixtieth tribute gala. I am excited to see who our contributors have brought us." He paused for the applause. "All tributes please rise and stand in a line on stage. We will select you based off of contributors' mentions and our initial impressions." He moved toward the end of the stage. The new tributes moved like a herd of animals; grotesque and odd, but interesting and valuable. He spotted Jinyoung towards the middle of the line, wedged between a giant and Rapunzel. He was just as handsome as his photo, if not more so. "I will select first as is customary."

Mark went down the line, dragging out the process. Each person was a solid no, but he couldn't seem predictable. He made eye contact with Jinyoung, seeing his eyes fill with fear. Then, he pointed out one finger. "I select tribute Park Jinyoung. He was contributed by Im Jaebum, owner of Beelzebub's Bar." Jinyoung looked like he was going to faint, much to Mark's enjoyment.

 _He would be perfect_ , Mark thought.  


* * *

 

 

Place: Seoul, South Korea

Time: 3:37 am

Date: January 17

Youngjae refused to believe Jinyoung's story. "No, no way." He said again and again as Jinyoung recounted the details. "It makes sense, like my brother, and it explains why Jaeyong's been here recently, but," Youngjae looked like a confused puppy, "You don't just get picked first. No wonder Mark had me do a scan on you."

Jinyoung furrowed his brows. "A scan?"

"I said I was an informant," Youngjae answered. "A scan is a system wide check on you. I check our private servers, sites, and files for any information on you or a possible you. Then I do a broader internet search on you, like for your search history, social media, websites you frequent."

"What the-"

Youngaje shrugged. "It happens to everyone at some point. Even Mark." He giggled, just a bit, but it was loud enough to fill the nighttime silence. His laugh gave off sunlight. There was a small click from down the hallway. Jinyoung and Youngjae's heads jerked to look at the noise.

"What are you two doing?" The view as borderline rude. Mark looked just as godly in a wife beater and pajama pants as he did in a suit and Jinyoung wanted to sue him for it. He and Youngjae looked at each other and laughed.

"I got up to get water and he was just, here." Jinyoung said, attempting to explain. They all seemed to be on edge as if this conversation was illegal. "He asked why I was here so I explained. That's all." Jinyoung got up from the couch.

"I see." Mark nodded. "What did you tell him Youngjae?"

"I just explained what scans are and that I'm an informant. Plus, I do your laundry." Youngjae remarked. He got up from the couch and crossed the room to the kitchen table. There sat a file folder thick with white sheets of paper. Youngjae's expression changed when he picked up the stack. "It has the usual. He's no trouble, no connections." He said, clearly bored. "Jinyoung will make a good right hand man."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting for this update! I had several finals and rehearsal to juggle and it took a while to get this short chapter out. I promise next update will be MUCH longer!


	5. A new announcement

Hey guys, your writer here. I began this fic to fill a prompt for a fic fest. I managed to post 4 chapters (talk to anyone I've shared my work with, and they know that I rarely finish anything.), but over half a year has gone by since an update. Why? I decided to rewrite the fic and switch up some events. I don't intend to post anything until I'm completely finished the work, so that way I can promise an update every week. I hope you understand! Thanks

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this fic! I'll try to keep consistent with my updates (2 weeks to a month in between each) and hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Follow my tumblr  
> Have a wonderful day!


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